Get ready to say goodbye to the Xbox One - Microsoft is on the
verge of a new generation of video game consoles.

The big rumor going around is that Microsoft plans to detail the
next Xbox consoles at this year's big video game trade show, E3,
in June. That could be an opportunity to get out ahead of Sony,
whose PlayStation 4 dominated the past five years.

So, what does Microsoft have to do to get the Xbox back on top?
Here are a few key places to start:

1. More than anything else, Microsoft needs major exclusive games.

343 Industries/Microsoft

Say what you will about the relative differences between the Xbox
One and the PlayStation 4 - in the long run, we'll look back at
the two consoles as remarkably similar pieces of hardware.

What differentiates the two mainly is games: Sony simply has more
major exclusive games than Microsoft. Whether you're talking
about "Uncharted" or "Bloodborne" or "Spider-Man" or "God of War"
or, well, the list could go on and on.

Microsoft has some biggies, like "Halo" and "Forza," but this
generation of consoles was primarily led by Sony because of a
consistent stream of excellent, exclusive games.

Things are clearly turning a corner in this regard: Microsoft has
major entries in the "Halo" and "Gears of War" franchises in the
works, while
Sony is outright skipping E3 this year. Microsoft even went
as far as to buy up a whole bunch of game studios that are
presumably hard at work right now on new, exclusive Xbox games.

All of which is to say one crucially important thing: More than
any other factor, Microsoft needs great games, and it needs them
coming out at a steady cadence.

"Halo Infinite" coming to Microsoft's next Xbox may not hurt in
this regard - at the very least it could offer a bridge between
the Xbox One and whatever's next, just as "The Legend of Zelda:
Breath of the Wild" did with Nintendo's Wii U and Switch.

2. Backwards compatibility and a persistent game library.

Microsoft

With few exceptions, new generations of game consoles come with
the expectation that anything from the previous system will not
work on the new console.

PlayStation 3 games don't run on the PlayStation 4, and Nintendo
Wii U games don't run on the Nintendo Switch. Such is the way of
most game consoles.

With the Xbox One, Microsoft stuck a stake in the ground: The
company created a robust backwards-compatibility program,
allowing Xbox One owners to play an increasingly large selection
of their digital and physical game libraries from previous Xbox
consoles.

It set an important precedent: Going forward, Xbox owners should
expect their gaming libraries to carry forward.

In the case of the next Xbox, that expectation is rock solid - it
would be outright shocking if Microsoft's next console didn't
play the vast majority of your digital game library from years
past. It may not play physical Xbox and Xbox 360 discs, but it's
very likely to work with your digital game library out
of the box.

3. Different console options, priced low to high.

Microsoft

More than just something Microsoft needs, there's a precedent:
The Xbox One S and the Xbox One X are both Xbox One consoles, yet
the Xbox One X is more powerful (and more expensive).

It stands to reason that Microsoft will continue this strategy
with the next version of the Xbox, and it makes sense. Just as
Apple has multiple versions of the iPhone, so too does Microsoft
have different versions of the Xbox. Why not offer consumers an
option?

This will be an especially important distinction as video game
streaming technology enables lower-tech, cheaper boxes to power
the same blockbuster games that powerful local hardware
traditionally powered.

For some people, a powerful console will be worth the higher
cost. For many, a set-top-box-like device that can stream games
may be enough.

Of note: Microsoft's Xbox leader, Phil Spencer,
spoke of multiple new Xbox consoles when he talked about the
future of Xbox hardware last June. Rumors also point to multiple
consoles being in development.

4. A continued push into cross-platform play.

Nintendo

First with "Minecraft," and followed by "Fortnite," Microsoft's
Xbox has been a trailblazer in so-called cross-platform gaming.
The company has championed the idea of playing games with friends
across competing platforms.

And why not? "Fortnite" is basically the same game whether you're
playing it on a phone, an Xbox One, a Nintendo Switch, or a
PlayStation 4.

It's been a huge shift for gaming, which has traditionally
accepted the concept of siloed platforms for business reasons.

Whether Microsoft will remain dedicated to this concept remains
to be seen - it's the kind of feel-good move with consumers that
could be easily forgotten or de-emphasized in the face of sudden
success with a new console.

5. It needs to be easy to use.

Microsoft

Though the horsepower of the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One are
on par, there's one massive difference that anyone can
immediately feel from using both: The Xbox One is a muddy, slow,
old-feeling game console. Simply navigating the user interface is
a chore, to say nothing of its poor organization.

Especially when compared with a modern computer, using the Xbox
One feels bad. Though the PlayStation 4 has gotten slower over
time, it's still far, far easier to use than the Xbox One.

It's plagued the life of the Xbox One - even the ridiculously
powerful, ridiculously expensive Xbox One X is slow as molasses
to use. That simply should not be. A $500 game console that came
out in late 2017 should not feel as slow and old as the Xbox One
X does.

This is a base-level, foundational issue that Microsoft needs to
nail with its next console.